A Legend Trapped in Time
by Falls-44
Summary: Link Hylia is just a normal high school kid, trying to make it through his Senior year. But when he obtains an ancient ocarina, his life is turned upside down as he's thrown into a quest that spans the ages. Zelink, DISCONTINUED
1. Chapter 1

Hello!

I'm Falls-44, taking a stab at writing! I really enjoyed the Legend of Zelda series so I thought I'd write something about it (of course, with an AU twist!).

Summary: Link Hylia is just an average high school kid, trying to make it through his Senior year with the usual problems: crushes, schoolwork, and his best friends Malon and Sheik. But when his parents bring back an ancient ocarina from an archaeological excavation, Link's life is turned upside down as he is thrown into an adventure to save Hyrule from an ancient evil. Some ZeldaxLink romance, rated T to be safe.

So, unusual storyline, right? Well, give it a read anyways and see if you like it! Comments and (constructive) critiscm is welcomed!

* * *

A Legend Trapped in Time

Chapter 1

_Thunder clapped down from the heavens, the booming symphony crashing spectacularly onto a lone island in the midst of a lava flow. The charred husk of land was covered with fire and wreckage, surrounding two warriors as they dueled in a frenzy of destruction. One combatant: a terrible creature from the pits of hell itself, as tall as five people and stronger than a hundred. The other: a young, determined, but wounded man clad in bloodstained clothing and wielding a battered sword and shield. _

"_Fool! You cannot defeat me! I am too powerful for even you, Hero of Time!" The huge creature, writhing in flames with a fiery sword and baleful, demonic eyes swung its weapon in a glittering arc of destruction. The young man clad in green, panting from exertion and bleeding profusely from many wounds, was barely able to raise his shield in time. With a sickening crunch, the metal shield was torn asunder, the hero's right arm dangling uselessly at his side. _

_Letting out a gasp of pain, the hero fell to his knees, sword clattering to the ground. His body was screaming with pain, his every second of existence prolonging his agony. The flames around him crept higher and higher, engulfing the area in a blazing inferno. _

_The monster advanced upon the weary hero, fangs glinting maliciously as it moved in for the kill, sensing final victory. It paused only feet away from the hero, whose face was wracked with pain as he looked up into the creature's malicious eyes._

"_I pity you, Hero. You came all this way, only to be utterly destroyed when it mattered most. Your Princess and Sages cannot help now- you have failed! Failed! Only a cold, friendless death awaits you as your reward." The monster raised its sword above its head, preparing for the killing blow. _

_In great agony, the hero lifted his head, a steely glint in his fading blue eyes. Spitting a glob of blood at the monster in defiance, the hero formed his hand into a fist- and on the back of his hand, a small, golden triangle began to glow brightly. For a second, the monster chuckled in amusement, until the triangle's light began to pulsate wildly. _

_In the last seconds of his life, the hero smiled as he saw the monster rear back in fear, its flaming eyes dulled with terror as the light enveloped everything…_

* * *

Music from the radio wafted through the warm summer night, barely discernible over the chatter emanating from a crowd of ecstatic people, happily drinking, laughing, and talking, glad that their Junior year in high school was finally over. That meant three months of freedom during their summer vacation, and the prospect that when they returned to school, they would be Seniors, the kings of Castle Town High School. 

Happily observing the throng from the less crowded patio stood Link Hylia, leaning against the wall whilst grinning from ear to ear as he took gulps of soda. He was tall, with scraggly dark-blonde hair that fell over his eyes in a casual manner; tonight he wore a pair of faded jeans with a white t-shirt. He felt terrific- maybe it was the soda- but after all, how could life get any better? Here he was, partying at his best friend Sheik's house, surrounded by his friends and other happy peers who were celebrating the end of school. His Junior year had been hectic and tedious, thanks in large part to the Hyrule Standardized Achievement Tests, so Link had been happily anticipating hanging out with his friends all summer long.

Speaking of which…

"Hey, dude." A hand clapped him on the shoulder and in a moment the space next to him was occupied by his friend, Sheik. Link had known Sheik for literally all of his life- they'd met in first grade and had just stuck. Sheik had vivid red eyes, was extremely thin, and had a pale complexion- but he was funny and popular at school. He seemed to be the opposite of Link: while Sheik was usually loud and outgoing, Link was the quieter, more "nerdy" one, as described by his friend Malon. Link grinned.

"Great party tonight, Sheik. Are you sure your parents won't care?" Sheik casually brushed off the comment, pouring himself some soda in a plastic cup.

"No, man, I told you that they're in Termina visiting relatives. By the time they get back, I'll have the place cleaned up without any sign of this party." Sheik winked at Link as he took a sip from his drink. "After all, what they don't know won't hurt 'em, right?"

Link laughed, and Sheik grinned too. The good mood in the area seemed to be infectious. "I don't know why," Link said casually, "But tonight has been the most fun I've had in awhile." Sheik chuckled and lightly punched Link's shoulder.

"That's because you spend too much time studying and less time having fun. All work and no play makes you a dull boy, Link. You don't even have a girlfriend!"

"And you do?" Link asked pointedly. Sheik shrugged good-naturedly. "At least I'm working on it. You don't meet girls by sitting at home studying for a history test, you know."

An amused voice interrupted the conversation. "What's this I hear about history tests? Didn't somebody tell you two nerds that school is out?" Link and Sheik grinned as they turned around to face their friend Malon Lon-Lon, who was quietly laughing.

"Malon!" Sheik exclaimed, doing an exaggerated bow. "I'm so glad to see that you were able to make it to my humble establishment!" Malon rolled her eyes but giggled. Malon was another one of Link's friends whom he had known since elementary school. She had fiery red hair and the attitude to boot, but she was very nice and considerate. Aside from these traits, she had an intense passion for horses- in fact, her dad owned a ranch and several horses, which worked out great for Malon, who didn't mind the work involved with rearing and training the horses.

Malon looked around the party, clearly impressed. "Good turnout," she noted, observing the multitude of people hanging out on Sheik's backyard.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sheik said, half playful, half annoyed.

"It means I'm surprised that you know this many people," Malon teased, making Link laugh and Sheik grin sheepishly.

The radio continued to belch out a steady stream of tunes, which, along with the refreshments, seemed to fuel everyone's energy. This was going to be a wild night, Link thought with anticipation. Sheik and Malon apparently mirrored his thoughts, for Sheik rubbed his hands together eagerly and asked, "Shall we?"

Malon and Link nodded in affirmation, and the three friends plunged into the crowd, which seemed to be one giant entity rather than a mass of giddy partygoers.

What a great way to end the year.

* * *

"Liiiiiiink! Liiiiiiiiiiink!" 

Link groaned in annoyance as he forced his eyes to open. Sitting on his bed and hovering right over him was his little sister Aryll, smiling mischievously.

"By the goddesses, Aryll," Link said in irritation, checking the clock at his bedside table. "It's noon. Why'd you wake me up so early?" Aryll rolled her eyes.

"Just to make sure you didn't get too drunk and hung-over from the party last night," Aryll said sarcastically. "And to tell you that some of your friends are here." She retreated out of his room, happily skipping back downstairs.

"Just for your information, I did not drink anything alcoholic last night!" Link yelled after Aryll. He heard a chorus of laughter and realized Sheik and Malon must have heard him. Dammit.

Jumping out of bed, Link snatched his clothes off of the floor, dressed, and brushed his teeth. Grabbing his cell phone and wallet, he raced downstairs to the living room where his friends and Aryll were sitting.

"Sup, Link," Sheik greeted him, waving lazily. Malon gave him a polite "Hello" and Aryll smirked at him as she said in a sing-song voice, "Good morning, big brother."

Link rolled his eyes and ruffled Aryll's hair, causing her to squeal and squirm.

"Link, stop messing up my hair!" She whined, as Link laughed and shooed her away. As soon as Aryll had risen from her seat, Link crashed onto it, stifling a yawn.

"Rough night?" Sheik inquired, raising an eyebrow. Link shrugged.

"Aren't you guys tired at all? The party went on until six in the morning, for Din's sake!"

Malon giggled. "That's why we came to ask if you wanted to go to the coffee shop with us. You know, wake up a little and then mope around for the rest of the day? It's summer vacation after all!"

"Alright," Link agreed to the beaming faces of Malon and Sheik, "Some coffee sounds great." As Sheik and Malon got up from the couch and began to walk outside, Link called to his sister.

"Aryll, I'm going out and I'll probably be gone for most of the day. If you need me, you know my cell phone number, right?" Aryll poked her head out from the kitchen and nodded, waving her own cell phone in the air. Link smiled. "See you later then, little sister."

"That reminds me, where are your parents?" Sheik asked conversationally as Link caught up with him and Malon outside of the house.

"They went on an archaeology trip at the Hyrule Castle Ruins, they said that a whole new section had been discovered and needed excavation. It's just me and Aryll for the week," Link said, wincing at the summer heat that enveloped him as the three friends walked to the coffee shop.

Malon let out a playful gasp. "I'm surprised they trust you enough to take care of your little sister!"

"Ha, ha, ha, you're so funny!" Link said sarcastically. "Besides, she can take care of herself anyways. She's only three years younger than me."

"That's right," Sheik mused. "She'll be a Freshmen next year in Castle Town High, right?"

Link nodded an affirmative. "And I'm telling you now Sheik, you'd better not make any moves on her!"

Sheik grinned. "You know, I'm not THAT desperate for a girlfriend." Everyone laughed as they continued their trek, leaving the peaceful suburbs of Castle Town and entering its bustling streets, ignoring the crowds of busy people and noisy traffic jams that surrounded them.

Castle Town was the capital city of Hyrule- it was the largest city as well, with a population of around twenty million people living in it. Hyrule International, the busiest airport in Hyrule and one of the biggest in the world, was constantly bustling with incoming flights and departures. Downtown Castle Town was a metropolis filled with gleaming office buildings countless stories tall, reaching up into the sky like the Termina giants of mythology.

The urbanized section of Castle Town, filled with apartments, street markets, shops, and the like, was always rumbling with activity and noise. Because of its enclosed design, the streets of Castle Town were usually crowded with people pushing against each other to reach seperate destinations. Link was glad that he lived in the suburbs; it meant a bit more peace and quiet than if he lived in the city itself.

"Here we are," Malon said as the group stopped in front of Castle Town Coffee, a two story coffee shop overlooking Castle Town square. It was a fairly big establishment, because it was a popular spot for people to get together and chat over a nice, steaming mug of coffee. From the outside windows, Link could already see that inside it was bustling with activity.

Entering the shop, a burst of cool air relieved the trio, who were hot and tired from the walk in the sun. Faint music could be heard from overhead speakers and the cheerful conversations throughout the area gave the shop a pleasant aura.

Walking up to order drinks, Link was surprised to see Mido Kokiri, a friend from high school, working behind the counter.

"Welcome to Castle Town Coffee, what can I get you for today?" Mido said in a dreary, monotonous voice without looking up. Malon laughed and Sheik stifled a snort.

"I didn't know you worked here!" Link said in amusement as Mido finally looked up from the cash register, his face slowly forming into a smile as he looked at his friends.

"You never asked me," Mido said defensively. He leaned in to whisper. "I hate this place. I wanted a job to get some extra cash but the pay here sucks and the manager is a total bit-"

"MIDO!" Screamed a loud voice, causing Link, Malon, and Sheik to jump up in surprise, whilst Mido merely looked miserable, as if this happened on a daily basis. A fat lady, wearing an absurd amount of lipstick and a horrible dress, sauntered up to berate him.

"You're taking far too long with the customers! What did I tell you yesterday about rapid efficiency? And didn't I tell you to smile and greet them with a cheerful attitude? Remember that your performance reflects on me as well! Do you want me to look like a fool? Do you? Well, DO YOU!?"

"No, Madam Aroma," Mido whispered meekly, looking at his feet. The lady gave him a final, disapproving look before grunting, turning on her heel and leaving him. Link noticed that several other customers and servers had also noticed the lecture, with small smiles tugging at the corners of their lips. Malon and Sheik were doing all they could to stop themselves from erupting into obnoxious laughter.

Mido gave Link a defeated look and wearily asked him, "Have you decided what to order yet?"

* * *

"So, what's the plan for the afternoon?" Sheik asked, sipping his scalding drink while he rested his feet on the table. 

"Well, let's wait for Mido's shift to end and see if he wants to do anything," Malon said, checking the wall clock. "I suppose we could see a movie or something."

"Or we could all head back to my place and get some quality time playing video games," Sheik laughed. "Remember Dodongo Hunter?"

Malon crinkled her nose. "I personally don't know why you like that game," she said in distaste. "How about you, Link? Link? Hello?"

Link was staring absently in a different direction, apparently not noticing Malon's calls. She waved her hand in front of his face. "Link! What's up?"

"The sky," Sheik interjected sarcastically. Malon lightly slapped him on the shoulder and refocused her attention on Link. Following his gaze, she spotted a young woman at the counter ordering a drink from Mido.

Malon grinned wickedly and signaled to Sheik, who had now become aware of what was distracting Link. "Aww, our little Link is growing up!" Sheik cooed, causing Link to snap back into focus. His face was beet red and he seemed to be embarrassed.

"Uh… sorry guys," Link said, trying to pretend as if nothing had happened. "What were you saying?"

Malon rolled her eyes and stood up, waving to the young woman. "Hey Zelda! Over here!" Link groaned and slid himself into his seat, while Sheik snickered uncontrollably.

Link watched with horror as Zelda turned around to find the caller of her name. Seeing Malon, she waved and began walking over to the table.

"Oh goddesses," Link whispered. He had become attracted to Zelda Harkanian sometime in his Freshmen year, although he never had the guts to say anything. She was beautiful, with flowing golden hair, sparkling blue eyes and an attractive smile always on her lips. She walked in a regal manner that always entranced him when he saw her.

And she was headed right for him.

* * *

Don't you like cliffhangers? Anyways, that's all for Chapter 1, feedback is appreciated! 


	2. Chapter 2

Here's Chapter 2! I know it took awhile, but I'm kind of busy studying for final exams (thankfully, all of them have been easy so far). Read, enjoy, and review!

Chapter 2

"Hey girl, what's up?" Malon asked, elbowing Sheik in the ribs before he could make another sarcastic comment.

Zelda smiled at Malon and dropped her purse and drink on the table. "Nothing much, I'm just happy that school is finally over. That last week seemed to drag on forever." Zelda glanced around at the table's occupants. "Hey Sheik, Link."

Sheik responded with a cheerful wave, feet still propped up on the coffee table. Link's face reddened and he mumbled a "Hello" whilst avoiding her gaze. To his immense shame, Zelda stared at him for several seconds before giggling at his behavior.

Malon rolled her eyes and pulled up a chair for Zelda. "So Zel, are you busy this afternoon? We're all going back to Link's house after Mido's shift is done, if you want to come." Link's mouth dropped open and he gazed at Malon in mute horror. Sheik snorted violently as he was drinking his coffee, earning him an annoyed glare from Malon.

Zelda smiled. "I've got nothing to do today. I'd like to come with you guys, if it's alright with Link," she said, giving him a small smile. Link swallowed nervously and tried to grin, although it probably looked more like a grimace.

"Yeah… sure… I don't mind," he said in a raspy voice, while Sheik's body trembled with suppressed fits of laughter. Zelda beamed at him before turning her attention back to Malon, who was again rolling her eyes in frustration.

"When is Mido's shift done?" Zelda asked. Malon shrugged and checked her watch.

"He should be finished soon, his shift ends at two. You should have been here earlier when he got in trouble with his boss, I really felt bad for him." Malon said sympathetically.

"No you didn't, you were laughing at him with me and Link," Sheik interrupted, earning another death-glare from Malon.

"Who were you guys laughing at?" Mido appeared out of nowhere and plopped down on a chair next to Sheik, looking positively exhausted. His shirt had a huge coffee stain on the front and he was gingerly sucking on his thumb.

"Nobody. What happened to your thumb?" Link asked, trying to change the subject.

"Burned it," Mido said. "Accidentally spilled a pot of hot coffee all over the floor. Ruined my shirt and killed my thumb but Madam Aroma still decided she needed to yell at me for punishment." Mido shrugged and adjusted his seat, as everyone else at the table tried to cheer Mido up by insulting his boss.

"Whatever, after I get my next paycheck, ffffft, I'm outta here," Mido said, gesturing with his hand. "Anyways guys, thanks for waiting for me. What's the plan?"

"We're all heading back to Link's house," Malon said delicately.

"Really?" Mido flashed a quick glance at Zelda and then gave Link a sly grin, causing him to turn an even deeper shade of pink.

"Yeah, really." Sheik stood up from his chair and stretched. "Hey Mido, can we hitch a ride in your car? I think I'll die if I have to walk all the way back to Link's place in this heat."

"Sure, but it might be cramped. I've only got four seats," Mido said, getting up as well and fishing his car keys from his pocket.

"Actually, I drove my car here," Zelda interjected, jingling her car keys for emphasis. "I can take someone with me."

"Great!" Malon said, before Link could open his mouth. "Link will ride with you, the rest of us are with Mido."

Link glared at Malon, who winked at him before leaving the shop with Mido and Sheik. He felt Zelda's fingers brush his arm and his stomach suddenly flipped in on itself, banishing any malicious thoughts he had about Malon in an instant.

"Ready to go?" She inquired, giving him one of those cute smiles that never failed to enthrall him. Link swallowed and nodded nervously, following her out of the building.

Walking out into the parking lot, Zelda stopped in front of a sleek red sports car, toying with her keys.

"Nice car," Link whistled, before he could stop himself. Zelda chuckled.

"It's actually my Dad's, but he lets me drive it around when he doesn't need it." Zelda unlocked the car and glanced at Link. "Hop in."

* * *

"Where do you live?" Zelda asked, keying the ignition and smoothly driving out of the parking lot. 

"5863 Backalley Road," Link recited, watching as she popped in a CD. "You like the Indigo-Go's?"

Zelda laughed. "I like some of their music, but I really enjoy the traditional songs they used to do, like Ballad of the Wind Fish. Ever since they became popular they've been focusing more on pop songs."

"Like the New Wave Bossa Nova?" Link asked, referring to the one-hit wonder song that catapulted the Indigo-Go's to fame.

"Exactly. It's a good song, but I think they're just trying to appeal to the masses rather then to their original fan base."

"Oh well," Link said. "They've gotta make a living somehow."

"I suppose so. Who do you listen to?"

Link shrugged. "I uh… don't listen to a lot of bands. I kind of like the classical composers…"

Zelda looked intrigued. "You mean like the Sharp and Flat brothers?"

"Yeah, they're great. I mean, we played some of their music in band during junior year…" Link flushed as he imagined Malon slapping her forehead and rolling her eyes at his attempts at conversation. "I guess I'm kind of nerdy," he admitted.

Zelda smiled, brushing off his comment and appearing genuinely interested. "I didn't know you're in the high school band! What instrument do you play?"

"Trumpet," Link said, relieved that she was still talking to him.

"I play the flute… or I used to, but I stopped in middle school because I wasn't very good," Zelda said.

Link was stunned. "Wow… I mean, I don't know why, but I can't imagine you playing an instrument…"

"You learn something new everyday," Zelda chuckled. There was a pause. "You know, it's funny. I've known Malon for a long time and you seem to be pretty good friends with her, but we've never actually talked much before."

Link found himself struggling for words. "Well, I'm happy to be talking to you now," he said finally, inwardly cursing at himself for saying something so corny.

Zelda chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Goofball."

Link considered it a good thing that she was comfortable enough with him to call him names.

* * *

"What took you two so long?" Mido smirked, lounging on Link's favorite sofa as the T.V. flashed images in the background. Malon and Sheik were all resting on different couches and seats in Link's living room. 

"Traffic," Zelda said, pretending not to notice Mido's suggestive tone of voice.

Mido rolled his eyes. "You're no fun." Malon gave him a reproachful glare but he ignored it. "Hey Link, got anything to eat around here?"

"Yeah, go look around in the 'fridge," Link said, scanning the area. "Where's Aryll?"

"Here," Aryll piped in, sticking her head out of the kitchen with her MP3 player dangling at her side. "Who's your girlfriend?"

Link groaned in annoyance, whilst Zelda seemed amused.

"Nice sister," she commented.

"Aryll's pretty good with strangers," Link said sarcastically, walking over to his sister and ruffling her hair.

"Link, you are _so_ annoying," Aryll said, squeezing away from him and carefully sculpting her hair back into place. Link rolled his eyes at her.

"What?" Aryll pouted. "Just because I care about my appearance…"

Malon laughed. "Don't worry Aryll, Link is like most men. He just doesn't understand fashion."

"I noticed," Aryll said, playfully sticking her tongue out at him before retreating to the kitchen. As Aryll left, her place was taken by Mido, who was eating ice cream with a spoon straight from the tub.

"It was all I could find," Mido said apologetically, mouth crammed full of chocolate mint.

"Hey, that looks pretty good," Sheik said, jumping up from his seat and running to the kitchen for a spoon.

Malon sighed. "I'm surrounded by freaks," she said matter-of-factly to Zelda, who giggled.

"I can see that," Zelda noted with amusement, as Sheik returned with a spoon in hand, licking his lips. Link heard the phone on the living room table ring and picked it up after it had rung several times.

"Hello?" He said into the receiver.

"_Link? Dear, is that you?_" Spoke the tinny voice from the other end.

Link grinned. "Mom, it's me. How are you and Dad doing?"

His mom sounded excited. "_Great! The archaeological trip has been so much fun! Your father and I are having a great time."_ Link rolled his eyes. Only his parents could get so excited from something as dull as excavation work.

"_There are so many ruins to excavate, and things to archive. Do you know that we're finding artifacts that have been carbon dated to the lost age of Hyrule?_"

"Oh, really?" Link said, feigning interest.

"_Yes! It's so exciting to discover such a vast quantity of information concerning Hyrule's mysterious past. It's like waking up on Goddess day and finding a huge stack of presents ready to be opened." _Link fought down the urge to laugh.

"_In fact, you'll never guess what we found at the excavation site!_"

"What?" Link asked, twirling the phone cord around his index finger.

"_I_ _can't tell you,_" his Mom said tauntingly. "_You'll have to wait until we get home to see it! Dad has been examining it non-stop for the past two days, it's pretty amazing. I can't believe it's been so well preserved after such a long time… this could be the link to the lost age of Hyrule that we've been looking for!_"

"Yeah, that's great Mom," Link said, acutely aware that all of his friends were watching him. "Listen, there are some people over right now… do you want to talk to Aryll?"

"_Alright_," his Mom said, sounding slightly disappointed that he wasn't more interested. "_I love you honey, take care of yourself and Aryll until we get back._"

"Bye Mom, see you soon," Link said, handing the phone off to Aryll, who went back to the kitchen to continue the conversation.

"Are your parents having fun with the excavation trip?" Malon asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Oh yeah," Link said, laughing. He saw Zelda's confused look. "My parents are archaeologists," he explained. "They're currently excavating some old ruins that were found near Hyrule castle. Mom said that she and Dad found something interesting at the dig site."

"That sounds cool. It must be neat to have parents who are so adventurous," Zelda said, causing Link to burst into laughter.

"You know, I used to think that they were like the movie stars who fought off re-deads in ancient catacombs using pistols and bullwhips. But to be honest, what Mom and Dad do is pretty boring. Dig up some stuff, brush the dirt off, and catalogue it."

Zelda smiled. "Well, at least that's interesting. I always enjoyed history class."

Link shrugged. "I suppose. Every now and then, I'll get the strange urge to look at the different artifacts Mom and Dad found. What I enjoy most about them is learning their history and what they were used for in the past."

Zelda nodded in agreement, while Malon groaned in boredom. "Link, _please_ tell me you know what summer vacation is…?"

* * *

Link was jarred from his sleep as he heard a car door slam sharply outside. Getting off of the living room couch and blinking sleepily, he eyed the clock- it was ten at night. The television was still playing quietly in front of him; evidently he had fallen asleep waiting for his parents to arrive. 

He heard the front door slam open and his Dad staggered inside, loaded down with a heavy crate and backpack. His Dad, Aleron Hylia, was a tall man in his early forties with shaggy blonde hair and a mischievous twinkle always dancing in his eyes. A lot of people often told Link that he looked like his father; although there were differences between them, Link could definitely see the family resemblance.

"Hey, Link!" His father greeted cheerfully, dropping the crate with a loud thump. "Where's your sister?"

"Sleeping over at a friend's house," Link said. "Do you need any help?"

His Dad waved the offer aside. "No, your Mom's bringing in the last crate. I'll say, although this excavation lacked in quantity, it most definitely made up for it in quality!" Link rolled his eyes as he saw his Dad eagerly rub his hands together and begin to tear open the crate with glee.

Hearing another loud noise at the door, Link saw his mother walk in, carrying a smaller crate. Carole Hylia was smaller than her husband, and her blonde hair was much brighter than Aleron's dirty blonde locks. Because of this, Link supposed that Aryll took after their mother more than he did, but Carole and Link shared the same vivid cerulean eyes.

"Hey Mom," Link said, taking the crate from her hands and setting it on the floor.

"Thank you dear, that was getting quite heavy," she said, breathing deeply and sitting on the couch, watching with an amused look as Link's Dad finally opened the crate and began to carefully extract the artifacts within.

"The excavation went well?" Link asked.

"Well?" His mother repeated, giving Link a cheerful grin. "Aleron, should we show him?"

"Of course! Link, come over here and see what we unearthed," his Dad said, straining to open the second crate.

"Aleron, be careful! We don't want to break such a valuable artifact!"

Link's Dad waved it aside. "Nonsense, if it can survive two thousand years in such good condition then it can survive me!" Link's mother gave an exasperated sigh but allowed her husband to tear at the crate with reckless abandon.

As his Dad finally managed to pry open the crate, Link unexpectedly found himself leaning forward, searching for a glimpse of the artifact. What could have gotten his parents so worked up? A priceless golden statue? Countless bars of silver? As Link pondered the possibilities, he became increasingly more excited. Perhaps this wouldn't be so boring after all…

"A-ha!" his Dad shouted, grabbing something and holding it up into the light. "Behold, Link, the discovery of the century! The artifact that is linked to the mystical lost age of Hyrule itself! The most priceless artifact found in the world is now resting in front of your very eyes!"

It took Link a moment to register his father's words and the artifact he was seeing. "Uh… Dad… what exactly is it?"

His father's body seemed to quiver with excitement. "What is it? What is it?? More like, what _isn't_ it!" his father yelped, jumping up and twirling around.

"It's an ocarina, dear," his mother said, answering Link's question. "A musical instrument played by the ancient Hylians. Really, what do they teach you in your band class these days?"

Link struggled for words. "So… it's an ocarina. What's so great about it?"

His father stopped his celebratory dance in mid step and knelt next to Link. "Look at it for a minute, and tell me why you think I'm so excited."

Link studied the ocarina. It seemed to be made of a light blue metal, which shined softly in the light. Decorations on its surfaces were detailed exquisitely in gold, and a miniature Triforce, the symbol of the Goddesses, adorned the mouthpiece of the ocarina.

"It looks brand new," Link murmured, finding himself suddenly entranced. "Like it was just made yesterday."

"Exactly!" His father beamed. "When we found it originally, we thought it was a fake, but our tests show us otherwise. We've carbon dated the ocarina countless times and we consistently get the same results: this ocarina was made in the lost age of Hyrule, nearly two thousand years ago!" His father's eyes had glazed over. "Just think of the questions, the possibilities! Such an ancient device, and yet its current condition is mind-bogglingly perfect! How could the ancient Hylians have crafted such an extraordinary device that defies the ages?"

Link's Dad continued his ramblings, walking around the room in ecstatic glee. His Mom gave Link an amused look.

"Obviously, your father and I are very excited about this," she said. "We don't know how long it will take to catalogue the ocarina, but it will be an enjoyable challenge every step of the way."

Link smiled weakly. "Well Mom, I'm happy if you and Dad are happy." He gave his father a hasty glance. "I'm going to go to bed before Dad starts muttering incoherently again."

His Mom chuckled. "Lucky you. I'll be putting up with it the rest of the night." She gave him a hug. "Good night Link."

"G'night, Mom."

* * *

Well, Chapter 2 is done! Getting interesting? I hope so :P

Chapter 3 will probably be up within a week, since exams are coming to a close. Remember, comments, suggestions, and (constructive) critiscm is always appreciated!


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